QUEENSLAND coach Kevin Walters has fired a broadside at his ex-Broncos coach Wayne Bennett, suggesting he is jeopardising Anthony Milford’s representative dreams by refusing to release the rising five-eighth for an extended Maroons Origin squad.

Following Milford’s starring role in a 36-0 thumping of Wests Tigers on Friday night, Bennett buckled down on his threat to make his No. 6 available for Origin duty only if he is named in Queensland’s first-choice 17 on Monday.

Bennett wants Milford on hand for the week leading into Brisbane’s round 12 away clash with the Warriors, but Walters intends to name the 22-year-old as cover in case Johnathan Thurston fails to recover from a shoulder injury in time for the May 31 Origin opener.

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The Maroons mentor is set to take Bennett on as the selection stoush escalates, predicting Milford would want to be included in next week’s camp, and would do whatever is needed to make a possible Origin debut a reality.

“I understand from the club’s point of view as well … (but) Milford, I’m pretty sure he would want to play for Queensland and give himself every opportunity to do that so we’ll see what happens tomorrow and over the next couple of days,” Walters said on ABC Grandstand on Saturday afternoon.

“But I don’t think it’s over with yet as far as I’m concerned.

“ ... It’d be unrealistic for us if Anthony was our man, for him to play on Saturday night and back up again on Wednesday so it’s a tough one and one that we’ll try and sort through the next couple of days.”

Walters has forecast a Sunday week deadline, three days before the interstate clash, for Thurston to prove his fitness.

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The Cowboys skipper missed North Queensland’s most recent loss to Cronulla on Thursday but remains confident he will be on deck for a record 37th straight Origin appearance at Suncorp Stadium.

Walters remains circumspect on the 34-year-old’s chances, and defended his selection of an extended squad, an approach that previously has relied on clubs releasing their players to interstate camps before they return for the weekend’s NRL duty.

“I’m not really sure to be honest with you about where Johnathan’s at with his shoulder,” Walters said.

“Obviously we want to give him every chance to play in the game but we might roll up on Monday and he (might not) be any good to play.

“(In previous years) it’s just been an agreement with the clubs. And to be fair to the Broncos, it’s normally those teams with byes, it’s just worked out in the past.

“But this one’s a bit different because we genuinely have got a player that’s seriously under threat of not playing.

“Given Johnathan’s standing in the team we’ve got to give him every chance.”

Milford has previously been burned by Bennett’s stance on his rep selections, with the Broncos coach refusing to release him for Samoa’s mid-season Test last year.

The Blues also found themselves in a similar predicament ahead of game two last year, when former Origin coach Ricky Stuart rejected an approach to have Joey Leilua join NSW camp as a development player.

Canberra’s blockbusting centre then missed out on the chance to possibly replace Josh Morris when he was injured in the lead-up to Origin II, with 19th man Jack Bird coming into Laurie Daley’s side.

But Bennett is adamant Milford will be travelling to Auckland if he’s not picked outright by Walters, arguing that incumbent utility Michael Morgan’s presence in camp is cover enough for Thurston.

“My position is extremely firm on that,” Bennett said.

“They have Morgan there.

“If he (Milford) doesn’t go and train with them they don’t lose anything. “We’ve got a game in Auckland next week, that’s our priority.”